Rising U.S. Long-Term Care Costs Drive Some Families to Seek Assisted Living in Mexico

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. U.S. long-term care is defined as assistance with everyday tasks such as bathing, feeding, toileting, preparing meals, managing finances and housekeeping.

Gov. -based assisted living costs increased 10% from 2023 to 2024 according to Genworth Financial and CareScout. Costs range from a low of $190 per day in Texas and Louisiana to over $1,000 per day in Alaska and parts of California according to the American Council on Aging.

By comparison, the cost of assisted living in Mexico averages $1,000 to $2,000 a month according to the Mexican Relocation Guide. 5% of people over 65 rely on long-term care according to the Inter-American Development Bank. Sofia Toledo-Soto works at Sofy Cares, an assisted living facility in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

She said historically many Mexicans relied on family members to care for older adults, but that is changing with a rapidly aging population, smaller families and more women entering the workforce. Some American families have already made the move. In 2022 Anja Helmon, age 56, was traveling through Mexico with her husband John looking for a new home when her sister Donna Gernert, age 66, called to say she could no longer serve as caregiver for their mother Gladys Wase, age 86, who has dementia.

Gladys Wase almost pushed Donna Gernert down the stairs in a close call. In 2021 the average cost of a private room at a nursing home in Ohio was $8,213 a month according to a Genworth survey. A home caregiver for 24-hour care for Gladys Wase would cost about $16,900 a month, Donna Gernert said.

Gladys Wase stayed in an Ohio facility for about $6,000 a month until October 2022. Anja Helmon and her husband moved to Manzanillo, Mexico in October 2022. Gladys Wase joined her in January 2023. She now receives around-the-clock care from two caregivers for 37,000 pesos a month, or about $2,000 USD, Anja Helmon said.

Temporary residency in Mexico lasts four years before one can apply for permanent residency, according to Gabriela Pellicer of GP Expat Services. Gladys Wase used a thumbprint instead of a signature for Mexican immigration paperwork due to cognitive decline. She is now a temporary resident of Mexico, Anja Helmon said.

Some families move elderly relatives to Mexico on a tourist visa and let it expire, Sofia Toledo-Soto of Sofy Cares said. , often featuring smaller resident-to-caregiver ratios, in-house doctors, physical therapy and mental health care on site. Facilities in Mexico charge a flat fee for services regardless of the level of care needed, though incidentals such as medications are not covered.

"My biggest fear was that I was making a mistake, that this was not what she wanted," Anja Helmon told Business Insider. She added that if she were to do it again she would speak with her mother about what she would have wanted before her dementia started. Helmon said she is happy with the family's decision.